>> welcome to the "journal" coming to you live from dw here in berlin. >> thanks for joining us. our headlines this hour -- least 100 die in an attack, but near damascus, the government denies rebel claims that they used chemical weapons. >> he revolution unravels. a court in cairo orders the release of former egyptian president hosni mubarak. >> the soldier who leaked incriminating documents to the press is sentenced to 35 years in prison. we will go live to washington.

>> the un security council has started emergency consultations on the latest allegation of chemical weapon used in syria. it's not clear who launched the attack just outside damascus that coincides with a visit by human investigators looking into previous charges that such illegal weapons were used. >> syria authorities deny claims by opposition activists that they were behind the attack in which toxic gases are said to have killed at least 100 people. we have to warn you that this next report contains very distressing images. >> the assad regime has only officially agreed to allow investigators to inspect three sites for traces of chemical weapons, but there are now calls for them to also be given asset -- access to wear opposition groups say the regime carried out a massacre, allegedly

deploying poison gas during an intense rocket and artillery barrage on wednesday. activists say hundreds of people were killed. some reports say more than 1000. this internet video allegedly shows the aftermath of the attack and victims being treated in a hospital. the veracity of the footage cannot be confirmed, but the opposition is demanding an independent investigation. it is calling on the international community to take immediate ation to protect the lives. >> we demand a no-fly zone, and we demand immediate intervention to protect the lives of the people, and we ask that more weapons be sent to the free syrian army. >> the syrian government refutes the allegations of the opposition. it has admitted to raids on damascus suburbs but denied that poison gas had been used. >> everything that has been said

is ridiculous, naïve, unscientific, illogical, and subjective. we stress again -- such weapons have not been used. >> but at the use of poison gas -- if the use of poison gas in the syria capital is confirmed, the international community would be compelled to take action. >> earlier, we spoke with a journalist and syria expert from zürich who is one of the few western reporters working inside. . we asked him just how likely he thinks it is that the syrian army used chemical weapons in this attack. >> i think we can be fairly sure that there has been a massacre in damascus. the bodies do not show any signs of external bleeding or external wounds, so it is quite sure they

have been killed by conventional weapons, but we do not know how they were killed. we do not know how the poison was given to them, and we do not know which side was responsible, but the evidence is getting stronger and stronger that the regime is behind such attacks. >> will the human inspectors be able to quickly determine if chemical weapons were truly used ? >> the human would have to -- would have to renegotiate their agreement with the damascus government because that agreement just allows inspectors to visit three sites. these are old sites, where many months ago chemical weapons were alleged to have been used. at the moment, it does not look very likely that they will be allowed, although it is just a

few kilometers away. >> what about the rebel use of chemical weapons? >> i cannot imagine that rebel factions would try to fake video and put the blame on the government. obviously, they would have the motive to do that, but i cannot see that they would have the logistical or technological experience, knowledge, and capability to make such a big, coordinated attack. they seem to lack those capabilities. >> thanks so very much. >> meanwhile, european union foreign policy chief has asked for an immediate and thorough investigation of the alleged use of chemical weapons in syria. ashton said their deployment by either side was totally unacceptable. >> she was speaking as eu foreign ministers had gathered

for an emergency meeting on the power struggle in egypt. here's more in brussels. >> the eu originally called the extraordinary meeting to discuss the situation in egypt, but the news from serious jumped to the top of the agenda. ministers described the allegations as grave and alarming. >> france condemns in the strongest terms the massacre in damascus and demands an immediate investigation. >> there is no excuse for the syrian regime not to provide access to the area and for the united nations team in damascus now to assess the use of chemical weapons, so we are pursuing this with our partners at the security council. >> ministers to discuss their response to the spiraling conflict in egypt. they condemned the ongoing violence but opted to keep all channels of communication open. they decided not to cut aid to avoid hurting ordinary egyptians, but there was a message for the country's military.

>> we have reached some concrete decisions. we have agreed to halt the export of any kind of goods which can be used in a repressive manner. while the situation remains so violently charged. >> the eu hopes that these measures as well as continued efforts at mediation will bring the conflicting parties to the negotiating table. >> let's stay with the egyptian story. a court in cairo has ordered the release of egypt's former president, hosni mubarak. that pending a retrial. >> the 85-year-old seen during his trial two years ago has received a life sentence for failing to stop the killing of protesters during an uprising that led to his overthrow. his lawyers say he could go home as early as thursday. the original conviction was overthrown on a technicality. >> ok, fast-moving story here. let's go live to cairo.

would the release of hosni mubarak mean that the revolution of 2011 has been completely undone? >> this is at least something some people are talking about and thinking about. when we look at the situation in egypt until now, really, a big heart of the population was firmly -- a big part of the population was firmly behind the coup d'état, but there was a slight suspicion that in a way, there was also an attempt the old regime might come back through the back door into the% political system. of course, what happened today and this sentence and the idea that mubarak will be released would be somehow against this alliance behind the military couldn't talk. >> what about the muslim brotherhood? it has been calling for a march of martyrs coming up on friday. where is this all heading?

>> it is heading towards more confrontations, i think. i think this is an attempt, but it gets more and more difficult. the leadership is over every night. the muslim brotherhood is really right now pushed into a corner. we will see how much they are able to still mobilize. >> thanks very much for that update. >> british prime minister david cameron is an hot water. two of his top aides are under attack for forcing a high level respected "guardian" newspaper to destroy documents in their possession. the paper is calling it an assault on basic freedoms. they said government agents had entered the offices of the newspaper and forced the staff to destroy hard drives with sensitive data stored on them.

"the guardian" has been leading the reporting on u.s. and british spying programs leaked by edward snowden. >> the gaming world is a multibillion international industry that creates thousands of high -- paying jobs -- high- paying jobs thomas and it occasionally comes under attack for its violent content. >> the world's largest convention for games and entertainment holds them front and center. two major players in the industry -- microsoft and sony -- are also on hand to show off their latest creations. >> for the time being, the only place consumers can try out the newest computer game consoles is at the ames con trade fair in cologne. microsoft's xbox one and sony's playstation four will hit retailers in time for the christmas shopping season. developers and retailers of computer games expect the new consoles will give their industry a much-needed boost.

sales have slipped because many gamers are saving their money for the new consoles. >> we have not sold quite as many games as during the same time last year. the first half of the year, that was 34 point 4 million games, a drop of 2%, but that is not a problem because we are waiting for the new consoles. it could have been a lot worse. >> industry representatives say they hope total sales in germany will reach 2 billion euros by the end of the year, but mobile ames for tablets and smartphones are making inroads into the market. their sales are still relatively low, but they are growing fast, and many are being developed a smaller studios and startups, many of which have also come to cologne to see what is new and what the competition is doing. >> now let's have a look at what has been happening on the financial markets.

we have this summary from the trading floor at the frankfurt stock exchange. lex the auto supplier continental from hanover thinks it's possible cars could drive on their own up to a speed of 30 kilometers by the year 2016. that's according to a report in a frankfurt newspaper. apparently, continental, in order to develop this technology, will sign a contract with google and with ibm on an international scale. it could be announced as early as september at the time that the auto show is happening here in frankfurt. this news helped continental shares. it was clearly gaining at the end of trading here, doing much better than other shares. most shares were bobbling along, lots of traders waiting for news from central banks on the monetary supply of the markets. >> let's take a closer look at the numbers now. germany possibly chip dax ended

the session slightly lower. the euro stoxx 50 closed almost .5% lower. in the u.s., the dow jones is down. at last check, the euro was trading at $1.3 378. >> to asia, where a typhoon is bearing down on taiwan. torrential rain has been causing flooding in mudslides. >> chiron has issued land and sea warnings to businesses and schools, which are closed in the north and east of the country, including the capital, taipei. the typhoon is heading past the west of the island. as it approaches southern china, leaving behind a trail of destruction. >> waves batter the coast of taiwan as the storm approached. the severe weather has already put a halt to shipping. authorities warned the situation could deteriorate further still. the heaviest rain has hit the mountainous interior of the island, which has triggered

landslides. some villages are cut off entirely, but the fed ministry has 50,000 soldiers on standby to help with rescue operations. >> from our experience with the last storm, we have deployed special operations forces and backup forces to their designated positions. >> in the philippines, relief operations are underway after flooding left more than half the capital underwater on monday and tuesday. 300,000 people are displaced and in need of help. >> we have provided them with ready to eat meals, other relief goods, and the charity office is providing medical and dental care. >> while the cleanup is continuing in some areas, other places close to the capital are still underwater. help has not arrived here yet. >> coming up in one minute, we will go live to washington to look at the sentencing of

bradley manning. >> plus, we examine a new refugee hospital in berlin that is stirring up emotions. stick around.

>> welcome back. a military court in the united states has sentenced wiki leaks informant bradley manning 235 years in prison. a military judge also gave the u.s. army private a dishonorable discharge. >> manning's defense asked judges to show leniency, saying that he had apologized and should be allowed to rebuild his life after his release. he was convicted of 20 offenses, including six violations of american espionage law. >> the courts decided bradley manning should spend 35 years behind bars, almost half the 60 years the prosecution had asked for, but many europeans are still disturbed by the severity

of the punishment. >> when you look at the sentence he could have expected, it is obviously a lot less than many feared, but according to the constitutional laws by which we determine sentences here in germany and continental europe, the sentence is exorbitant and clearly too high. it is unacceptably high. >> a lifetime of jail with no chance of parole. in germany, that is unthinkable. the german constitution demands criminals have a prospect of being released. in the united states, they follow another principle -- long, tough sentences for convicts. >> i would say the idea of retribution plays a much bigger role in the usa than here in germany when it comes to reasons for punishment. on top of that, the idea of deterrence clearly plays a much greater role in the usa than in

germany, and a much greater role than it should play in the rule of law. >> bradley manning is now facing his own long sentence, which many americans believe is just. some 62% of people in the united states c manning as a traitor. for others, he is a hero. >> i think he is completely a traitor to the united states. >> i do believe he is a hero, and i think he has probably already saved a lot of people's lives. >> i really do think he was a hero for letting us know what the government is doing. >> i think he needs to pay for what he did. i do not see him as a hero or anything like that. >> manning handed over about 700,000 documents to wiki leaks. among them were reports of torture by american soldiers in iraq, and they also included the video collateral murder, showing graphic cockpit footage from a

black hawk helicopter killing civilians. manning's lawyers say his actions sped up the end of the war in iraq. some even believe he deserves the nobel peace prize. dangerous traitor or hero? radley remit -- radley manning remains a polarizing figure. >> for more on the story, let's go live to washington. you just heard a statistic. the question about bradley manning being a hero or a traitor -- is the nation really that divided over this? >> it is divided. it depends on the polls you look at, but it seems consistently so that a majority, albeit a small majority, does think that he is more of a traitor than a hero, although you have a lot of people who very strongly feel that he is a hero. generally speaking, there is

this impression that people feel less strongly about the whole issue with the manning leaks than they do, for instance, about the snowden leaks. because in spite of the sheer magnitude of the documents he leaked -- 700,000 -- most of them were judged harmless by experts, and they do not really affect people's lives. >> deterrence, as we heard in the report, judge part of the sentence. will it discourage others from coming forward with information that could actually be in the national interest? >>) well, you know, in spite of being pretty far off of what the prosecution asked for, 60 years, this sentence is on the severe side. nobody wants to go to prison or decades on end, so definitely, this is a deterrent for anyone thinking about doing something similar, but it could have been a lot worse. make no mistake -- the most important, most severe charge, aiding the enemy, was dismissed

by the judge. had she not dismissed at, it would have taken the whole into a clearly different level. if edward snowden were ever to stand trial in the united states, he would not have to face that charge either, most likely, but his case would be even more revealing about what you are pointing at, how important these cases are for future whistleblowers, because he actually leaked something that really affected the public discussion here in the united states, that affects people's lives. it shows the magnitude of the nsa surveillance program and also had some effect on politics. two very different cases when it comes to handling the content of them. >> thanks so very much. here in berlin, police have been keeping protesters apart on the third day of demonstrations over a newly opened center for up to 400 asylum-seekers. tensions flared and there were arrests when supporters sought to end a rally by anti-

immigration groups. >> the number of asylum seekers in germany has almost doubled year on year to over 52,000. the issue of immigration, surprisingly, is not a major topic of discussion in the campaign ahead of the september 22 election. >> many of the refugees come from conflict zones. afghanistan or serious. but they have not found peace in germany. this is what they have to put up with. opponents make their views clear. most of them clearly belong to the far right. on the other side are those who support the refugees. the atmosphere is heated. every day, more protesters arrived, wanting to show that the majority of germans are not xenophobic. >> i think it is important we make a clear stand against the far right. because this is unacceptable. the refugees have a right to be here and not be treated like

criminals. >> the former school is now being guarded around-the-clock. it is in the part of east berlin with high unemployment. many residents are angry. the far right npd is campaigning hard. berlin's refugee council says the asylum-seekers are not safe here. some have moved out. >> the refugees fled from here with tags and cases. they were trembling and were in complete shock. not these were throwing bottles at them on their way to subways or the buses. >> what to do about the dispute is being discussed at the national level. some are asking whether large facilities are a good idea. >> what is important is if these people are granted asylum and stay in berlin, how they can lead normal lives in normal homes.

>> at the moment, it is unclear whether the refugees will be able to stay. >> for more on this issue, let's cross over to our chief lyrical correspondent, who is joining us from our parliamentary studios. what kind of her polls are therefore resolving this crisis? >> there is pretty wide political consensus. this has not become an issue in the election campaign. what the contrary -- all six mainstream candidates from the particular district where the storm tore it is located have now come out with a very strong statement saying that they deal it is very, very important to stand by the refugees and ensure that they can remain there in that district. there has been some discussion about whether such large group homes are really a good in, but in this particular case, there seems to be a great deal of solidarity. there have been some national calls for a kind of crisis summit, but others say that will

not be necessary. the interior minister of germany says that this can be solved at the state and local level. >> many people in germany remember the pictures of asylum shelters set on fire back in the 1990s. what are the chances we will see that type of violence coming back again? >> very low, i think. first of all, the numbers are very different. we had hundreds of thousands of refugees coming into germany at that time. those numbers are not as high now as you mentioned. 50,000 is a good deal lower. there is also a lot more awareness within society. as you could see in the report, very strong counterdemonstrations by people who are very much backing the refugees. >> thank you so much for your insight. this week is part of our special coverage leading up to the september 22 federal elections. we are taking a look at the

people behind the main contenders. >> with the campaign teams' engines in gear, the campaign primed to win over voters is on. >> it takes two to lead germany's green party into the elections. the duo could hardly be more different. the alpha male from bremen. >> we are going into this campaign with courage and confidence. >> he represents the party's left wing, one of the most experienced politicians. for the past four years, he has been one of two parliamentary party leaders. he spent seven years as environment minister in the coalition government with the social democrats. he does not mince words, and he does not shy away from an argument.

some people think he comes across as arrogant. eckhart was the surprise winner in the elections. she is tougher than she looks. >> this government has been negligent for years and years. >> she represents the moderate wing of the green party she is meant to appeal to the more mainstream voters. >> recapping our top story for you -- a united nations team of investigators is in serious right now, and it is being asked by western powers to look into claims that chemical weapons have been used outside of the capital, damascus. >> we will have more on that story in our later editions and an update of the headlines at the top of the hour, so be sure to tune in. thanks for watching. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--